Combined lighting fixture and mail box



Feb. 14, 1928.

H. A. BUCCINI COMBINED LIGHTING FIXTURE AND MAIL BOX Filed Aug. 1927 INVENTOR.

Hueo A. Bucmm ATTORNEY iii t ll

Patented Feb 14, 1Q2

UNITED STATES PATENT orrice.

nose A. BUCCINI, or ri-iitannnriiia, PENNSYLVANIA, Ass eivon T vrc'ronr LAivrr coNrANr, or rriitannnrrrm, rnNNsYLvANrA,

COMBINED LIGHTING FIXTUEE AND MAIL BOX.

Applicationfilecl August 31. 1927.

tric light and a depository for mail.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device which is so designed as to constitute a lighting fixture for 1lluminating purposes at-the same time that it is adapted for use as a mail-box.

it still further object of the invention is the provisiono'l'acombined exterior lighting fixture and mail-box whereinmeausare provided fol-facilitating the removal of mail from one compartmentthereof as well as for facilitating the insertion or removal oil the electric light and its socket from another compartment T thereof A still further object of the invention is to provide a device which is capable of *arrying out the above stated objects and which is as compact, neat and ornamental in appearance as it is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

T he invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and rela tive arrangementof parts all as will be more fully hereinafter set'forth, as shown in the accon'ipanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims. For purposc of illustration, a preferred einhodiment o'l' the invention has been illustrated in said accompanying drawings, it being understood, of course, that various changes may be made from time to time without departing from the principles of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view oi the combined exterior lighting fixture and mail-box;

Figure? is a side view thereof showing the door through which access is bad tothc light and mail compartments:

Figure 8 is a central vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mounting element for the lamp;

Referring more particularlyto the draw- Serial No. 216,536.

ings, it will be seen that there has been pro vided a casing, indicated generally by the reference nun'ieral 10, arranged to be mounted in any desired position by means of the back wall 11 thereof. With the exception of this back wall 11 and the top and bottom walls of the casing, the ren'iaining walls thereof, thatis the side and front walls, are provided with openings'covercd by glass or other such material, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter. As appears most clearly in Figure 3, the top wall 12 ot' the casing is inclined downwardly and forwardly'and is provided with a transverse 1y extending slot 13 in the upper portion thereof. The forward edge'of this inclined top wall 12 is provided with'a depending flange 141-, while the side edges thereof are provided with the depending flanges 15 C011- stituting the upper portions of the side walls of the casing. As appears most clearly in Figure 2, the

bottom edge of the side flanges 15 and the bottom edge of the front flange 1 llie in substantially the same horizontal planel The side and front edges of the bottom wall. 16 of the casing are formed with upwardly and inwardly extending portions 17 tern'iinating' in the vertically extending flanges 18. Com-' pleting the frames of the side and front "walls of the casing are the vertically extending corner members 19. A horizontally extending member 20 constitutes a tie between the front corner members 19 while a vertically extending member 21 constitutes a tie between the flangesj15 and l8'on one side of the casing. It will thus be seen that the casing constructed as described above is provided with a pair of transversely extending openings in thefront wall. thereof and with a pair of vertically extending openings in one of the side walls thereof, the opposite side wall being entirely open from front to back.

Secured within these transversely and vertically extending openings, preferably by means of the clip members 22, rality of glass or other transparent or translucent members 23, 9A, and 26. Prefer ably the glasses 23, 24k and 25 are translucent,

while the glass 26 is transparent. "If desired, the number of the house where the fixture is used, for example 1927, may be painted or otherwise applied upon the upper glass 23 in the front wall of the casing.

Hinged to the backwall 11 ofthe casing,

are a put as at 27, is a door, indicated generally by the reference numeral 28. This door is provided with the glasses 29 and 30, the latter being preferably transparent and arranged opposite the other transparent glass 26. A hook 31, or a similar fastening device, is provided at the free edge of the door 28, for securing the same in closed posltion.

Depending from the top wall 12 of the casing is a transversely extending flange 32, the lower edge of which is provided with a horizontally extending groove Preterably this depending flange lies in the planeseparating the side wall glasses 25 and 26.1 Secured to the bottom wall 16 of the casing is a substantially inverted U- shap ed member Eli having the oppositely extending branches 35. Screws 36 pass through these branches and through the bottoiirwall 16 into threaded engagement with the nuts 37. The rear edge this U-shapedmember 34: is provided with a transversely extending upwardly presenting groove'or channel 38, said groove lying in substantially the same vertical plane as the similar but downwardly presenting groove 33. The member 34: is further provided with an opening 39 in the base wall thereof, this opening being arranged to receive a lamp socket in for a, lamp ell, preferably an electric lamp. An opening 1-2 is preferably pro vided in the back wall 11 of the casing through which the electric wires leading to said socket may pass.

Arranged to he slipped into the casing with the upper and lower edges thereof respectively received within the upper and lower grooves or channels 33 and 38 is an opaque partition member 43, preferably of metal. lVhen this member 43 is inserted in position, as most clearly appears in Figure 3, the casing is divided into two compartments, one arranged in ad ance of the other, the forward compartment constituting a. housing :l'or the lamp ell and the rear compartment constituting a depository for any mail or similar matter which may be inserted through the transversely extending slot 13 provided in the upper wall 12 of the casing. The provision of this removable partition member 43 facilitates the removal of any mail or other matter from the rear compait ment, while at the same time it facilitates the removal or replacement of the lamp ell or its socket 4O whenever the latter is necessary. An important feature of this partition mem ber 4:3 is that, by reason of its opaqueness, it serves to conceal the fact that the mail-box is other than merely an exterior lighting fixture. this being especially true when the lamp 4-1 is turned on at night. Still further, this opaque partition member constitutes in effect a diffuser for the light and consequent- 1y increases the general eiiectiveness of the device as an illuminating fixture. The transparent glass 96 in the one wall of the casing and the similar glass 30 in the door of the casing makes the interior of the mail compartment readily visible without the neccssity oil? opening the side door. b

In order to protect the interior of the mall compartment from the elements, the casing provided with a cover 44.- hinged, as at 4:5, and adapted to overlie the mail slot 1 Preferably this cover l l provided with side portions l6 overlying the upper portions 15 of the side walls of the casing, thereby providing a neat and finished appearance to the upper portion thercoi.

In order to still further enhance the appearance of the combined exterior light lixture and 1nail-lm: the latter is provided with the cross rods it? upon one side and the front wall. of the casing as well as upon the hinged door If desired, a spring metal clip is may be Secured to the under surface of the casing for receiving mail oi? a more or less bulky nature, such as magazines, newspapers and the like.

It is to be understood, of course, that various changes may be made in the construction of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit or principles thereof, and it is accordingly intended to claim the invention broadly as well. as specifically as indicated in the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a combined exterior lighting fixture and mail-box, a main casing, a transversely extending removable partition in said casing arranged to divide said easing into a pair of compartments constituting, respectively, a housing for a lamp and a depository for mail, and. a door hinged to said casing through which access is bad to both of said compartments.

2. In a combined exterior lighting fixture and mail-box. a. main casing having an opening in one side thereof, a member depending from the top of said casing, the lower edge of said member having a transmrscly extending downwardly presenting channel. a second member secured to the bottom of said casing, said latter member being providcijl with an upwardly presenting channel lying in the transverse plane of said downwardly presenting channel, and a removable partition member arranged to be slidahly received within said channels.

3. I11 a combined exterior ligl'iting fixture and mailbox, a main casing, means arranged to be remevably inserted through one side of said casing for dividing the latter into a pair of transversely extending compartments, a supporting member for a lamp secured to the base wall of one of said compartments, and a door hinged to said casing through which access is had to both of said compartments.

4. In a mail-box structure, a main casing havinga downwardly and forwardly inclined top wall, said wall being provided with a transversely extending slot, a transversely extending member depending from said wall and lying substantially in the vertical plane of one of the edges of said slot, lamp support secured to the base Wall of the casing with one edge thereof also lying in said plane, a pair of transversely extending channels respectively carried by said depending member and said supports, and a partition arranged to be slidably received within said channels, said partition serving to divide said easing into separate compartments constituting, respectively, a housing tor the lamp and a depository for mail inserted through said slot.

5. In a mail-box structure, a main casing, one side wall of said casingbeing open and the opposite side wall thereof being fitted with a transparent glass of a width less than that of said wall, a door hinged to said casing and arranged to close said open side wall, said door being also fitted with a transparent glass of a width substantially equal to that of said first mentioned glass, and a partition extending across the interior of said casing and lying substantially in the vertical plane of the forward edges of said glasses.

In a mail-box structure, a main casing, a removable opaque partition arranged to extend from side to side 01: said casing whereby to provide a front and a rear compartment, a lamp located within said front compartment, a door hinged to said casing and arranged to close the open sides of both of said compartments, and a pair of trans parent glasses in the portions of said door and casing extending rearwardly of said partition.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto at fixed my signature.

HUGO A. BUCCINI. 

